MINNIKIN

A retelling by J. Kearns

Two precocious girls, born one right after another, who are able to walk and talk just after birth, waste no time in setting out to seek their fortunes. Minnikin begins by stealing eyes--a curious profession!--by which she receives treasures for battling trolls.

here was once upon a
time a couple of needy folk who lived in a wretched hut in which there
was next to nothing.Next to nothing--that about says it all right there, doesn't it. Next to nothing.
You can't have it much worse off than that, not even if you tried, because everyone has something even if it is just themselves. They had
no food. They didn't even have wood to burn to keep them warm or to
cook their food if they had a little bit of something to eat, which
they didn't. But one thing they did have was children. How they happened to have so many children on next to nothing is a mystery. Someone once
said of the family, "If they had next to nothing of all else they had
the blessing of God so far as children were concerned," which was
true, for every year brought them one more.
The man of the house wasn't overly pleased about this blessing. He must not have
thought it was a blessing for he was always going about growling and
grumbling, and complaining. He said, "It seems to me that there
might be such a thing as having too many of these good gifts." He
said this just as his wife began to give birth to another baby, and
then he went into the forest for some firewood, or so he said, so they'd have something, and said
also that he didn't want to see the new child, that he would hear him
quite soon enough when the child began to squall for some food, and the wife yelled after him what sounded like names, maybe endearments, and something else unintelligible, and then she just plain yelled, because giving birth hurts.

1

The new
baby was born and was a girl. As soon as she was born, and I do mean immediately and not a second thereafter, she began to
look about the room of the wretched hut, which is most unusual for a
new baby to be so alert, and seeing the destitute nature of the circumstances to which she'd been born, she said, "Mother, give me some of
my brothers' old clothes (for she only had brothers), and food enough
for a day. I plan to go out into the world to seek my fortune, for
I can plainly see that you have children enough." The
mother wouldn't hear of it, because her new daughter was just a little
baby and certainly too small to take care of herself. She said, "Heaven
help you, my poor daughter. Your plan will never do for you are still
far too little. You don't know that yet, because you're just born. But it's true."
But the daughter was determined to go. She begged and begged until
finally the mother, crying all the while, let her have some old rags
for clothes. Then somehow or other she found some food for her
daughter to take with her and tied it up in a bundle with another old rag. Babies usually don't
even begin to crawl until they are around nine months old, but this
little girl got right up and happily tripped out the door into
the world.
Almost before that precocious daughter was out of the house, yet
another girl was born, and she too looked about the room and said, "Mother,
give me some of my brothers' old clothes and some food, and then I'll
go out into the world and find my twin sister, for it's plainly
visible you have children enough as it is to last you for a while." The
mother was driven to near distraction with befuddlement over the
precociousness of these twins. She exclaimed, "Heaven
help you, my little daughter. You are far too little to go out into
the world. It would never do."
The little daughter begged and begged, however, so at last the mother
gave her some old rags for clothes. Then, somehow or other, she
managed to find a bit of food and tied it up for her daughter to take
with her. "Goodbye," the little girl said. "I am going out into the world to find my twin sister." And she went out the door.
When this second-born little girl had walked for some time, she caught sight of
her sister a short distance ahead of her and yelled out, "Hello,
there! Stop! You're walking so quickly one might think you were
running a race. You ought to have stayed to see your younger sister born
before you hurried off into the world. I'm your twin."

2

So, the
elder sister stood still and waited for her twin to catch up with her.
They introduced themselves to each other, then the elder sister said,
"We didn't stay long enough at home to nurse at our mother's
breast before we went out into the world, and I'm getting a little
hungry. Let's see what kind of food our mother packed for us."
So, they sat and they ate a little, and then they went on.They had
walked on together a little way when they came to a brook which ran
through a green meadow. The younger sister said, "We didn't stay
long enough at home to be christened. I propose that we make good use
of the brook and christen each other now and here."It is the
custom with some parents to christen their infants into the church to
which they belong--which is to baptize; which is to put some drops of
water on your forehead or maybe even dip your whole body in the water.
This makes the infant a member of the church, and sometimes the child
isn't even given his or her name until this event. You see, to
christen means to annoint, which is to put some droplets of water or
oil on you. If it's water, some say the idea is you're washed clean,
like taking a bath, but others say it is like a replay of your being
born, and the reason you would do a replay of your being born is to
express that you are new.These
children were certainly new. They were so new they didn't have names
yet. The older sister asked the younger one, "What do you want
your name to be?"The
younger sister said, "My name will be Minnikin. What do you want
your name to be?""Call
me King Pippin," said the older girl, who thought this
was just an awfully smart name to have.A
pippin is a seed or an apple.After
a moment's thought, the older girl asked the younger one, "What
does Minnikin mean?"Mannequin
is the same thing as Minnikin. We know a mannequin is like a doll that
is made so that it looks very nearly human and models clothes. You see
them in shop windows. But Minnikin can also mean a dwarf, like a
little man, as in a little person. The younger girl thought since she
was a very little person then she should be named Minnikin, and the
older girl agreed.The
two little girls went on their way. When they had walked for some
time, they came to a place where one road crossed over another, which
is a crossroads. The younger girl said, "As we have come to this
crossroads, instead of us having to decide on which path to take
together, why don't you take one road and I'll take the other, since
we are twins and there are two of us. That way neither road feels
neglected."

3

So,
the twins parted. But no sooner had they walked a short distance when
they met again.The
twins hugged and kissed hello, then hugged and kissed goodbye and
parted once more, each taking her own road.
Again, no sooner had they
walked a short distance when they met again! Again,
the twins parted with hugs and kisses, each taking her own road.
What
do you know but, again, no sooner had they walked a short distance
than they met for a third time."I'll
tell you what I think is going wrong," said the younger twin. "We
each chose our own road but who can tell where a road might lead,
because it might twist and turn all about until you're going in quite
another direction than you set off to go in. What we need to do is
tell these roads where we want to go. Why don't I go east, and you go
west."The
elder sister said, "Little sister, if you ever are in need or
having any trouble, call me three times and I'll come to help you. But
you must not call me until you are in utmost need."The
younger sister said, "As I don't plan to be in any utmost need
soon, we won't see each other for some time."With hugs
and kisses the two sisters bid each other farewell. Then Minnikin, the
younger, faced her road and said, "Road, take me east." And
King Pippin faced her road and said, "Road, take me west." Thus,
the twins parted.
When Minnikin had walked a long way alone, she met an old crook-backed hag who had only one eye just like a cyclops. Minnikin had left home before her mother had a chance to teach her any manners.
Minnikin stole the hag's one eye.
The hag, now quite blind, cried out, "Oh, oh! What has become of
my eye?"
Minnikin said, "I have stolen your eye. What will you give me to
get your eye back."
The hag replied, "I'll give you a sword. Not just any old sword, but a grand sword, an amazing sword. This sword can conquer a whole army."
"If it's that good, let me have it then," said Minnikin. The old
hag gave Minnikin the sword, and Minnikin gave her eye back to her.
Then Minnikin walked on. When she had wandered on for some time she
met another old, old crook-backed hag who had only one eye.

4

Minnikin
stole the second hag's one eye.
"Oh, oh!" cried the second hag. "What has become of my
eye?"
Minnikin said, "What will you give me to get your eye back?"
The old hag answered, "I will give you a ship."
"Not just any old ship, I hope," said Minnikin.
"Not at all," said the hag. "This ship can sail over
fresh water and salt water, over high hills and deep dales. In other words, it can go anywhere you want it to take you." "That's
a versatile ship," Minnikin said. "Give it to me." So, the
old woman gave Minnikin a little bitty ship that was so small she
could fit it into her pocket, and Minnikin gave the old woman her eye
back and went on her way. When she had walked on for a long time, she
met a third, old, old, old, crook-backed hag who had only one eye.
Those three old women must have been sisters. Maybe they were
triplets, whereas King Pippin and Minnikin were twins. Minnikin
stole the hag's eye.
The hag screamed. She lamented. She wringed her hands, crying out, , "What has become of
my eye?"
Minnikin answered, "What will you give me to get back your eye?" The hag
replied, "I'll give you the art to brew a hundred lasts of malt
in one brewing.""What's a last?" Minnikin asked.
"A large unit of weight," said the hag.
"What's malt?" asked Minnikin.
"Beer," said the hag. "It's something adults are very fond of drinking. I can hear with my ears you are far, far too young to drink beer. Maybe you'd rather have malted milk?"
"No," said Minnikin, "this art of making beer sound like it might be useful to have."
So, for teaching that art, the old hag got her eye back,
and Minnikin went on her way.
When Minnikin had walked a short distance, she thought to herself, "Why
am I walking? The second hag said my ship would be able to sail not only over
water, but over hill and dale. I ought to try it out and see how it
rides." Minnikin took the ship out of her pocket and placed it on
the ground. Into it she put one foot, and then the other, and no
sooner had she put one foot in the ship than it became much larger,
and when she set the other foot in it the ship became as large as
ships that sail over the sea, though it didn't look quite like other
ships did, but she didn't know that as she had not yet seen the sea
and the ships that sail on it.

5

Minnikin said to the ship, "Now, ship, go over fresh water and
salt water, over high hills and deep dales, and don't stop until you
come to a king's palace."
In an instant, the ship rose into the air and flew as swiftly as any
bird until it came to a king's palace, then it stood there in the air
quite still.
From the windows of the king's palace, many persons of the court had
seen Minnikin's ship come sailing up. They were all so astonished by
the flying ship that they ran out of the castle to see what manner of
person would come sailing in a ship through the air. But while they
were running out of the palace, Minnikin had the ship settle on the
ground, and she climbed out of it, whereupon the ship became small
again and she put it in her pocket. Those who had come running out of
the king's palace saw only a little ragged girl standing down by the
seashore, for that is wear the ship landed. The king, who had also
come running, asked Minnikin where she had come from. Minnikin said, "Where
do I come from? That I can't tell you as I don't honestly know exactly
from where I have sprung. Nor can I tell you exactly how I came to be
here, if I can't tell you from where I have come, can I? However, I
can tell you what I want, and what I want is a position of employment
at your castle so that I may earn my living. If I entreat you
earnestly and prettily I'm hoping you'll give me what I want, even if
there's nothing more for me to do than fetch wood and water for the
kitchen-maid."
The king agreed that Minnikin should work for him. When
Minnikin went up to the king's palace, she saw that it was hung with
black cloth both inside and out, from the bottom to the top. As she
didn't know what this meant, because she had left home before learning
about such things, she asked the kitchen-maid.
The kitchen-maid said, "The black means everyone in the castle is
grieving, just like they were mourning a death. The king's daughter
was long ago promised to three terrible trolls. Next Thursday evening,
one of those ugly trolls is to come and fetch her. That's why everyone
is so sad, even though Ritter Red has said he'll be able to set her
free. After all, who knows if he tells the truth and if he'll be able
to do it? That's why everyone is mourning." Minnikin
asked, "Who is Ritter Red?"
The kitchen-maid said, "He's himself." Minnikin
asked, "Why should the king's daughter be promised to three
terrible Trolls if it was going to cause such mourning."

6

The
kitchen-maid replied, "It's just one of those things, you know?"
and went back to her work.
When Thursday evening came, the princess went out to the seashore
where she was to meet the troll, and Ritter Red accompanied her on his
horse, for ritter is only a word which means rider, and a person who
was a ritter would have been a knight. So Ritter Red could also be
called Red Rider, of Red Knight, but we shall call him Ritter Red. Ritter
Red was supposed to protect the princess, and at court had been very
vocal about how he would protect her to the end. Ritter Red, however,
wasn't much likely to do the troll much injury, for no sooner had the
princess seated herself by the seashore than Ritter Red climbed up
into a great tree and hid himself among its branches. The princess
wept and said, "Oh, please do come down out of that tree, Ritter
Red! Please don't abandon me to the trolls. They are terribly ugly,
you know, and it hardly seems right that I should be married to them.
I wouldn't want to be married to one troll, much less three of them.
So, please, Ritter Red, come down out of that tree where you're hiding
yourself--I can see you very plainly--and keep your promise to protect
me."
Ritter Red called back, "It's better that one should die than
two."
In the meantime, Minnikin begged the kitchen-maid very prettily to
give her leave to go down to the seashore for a short time. "What
for do you want to go down to the seashore? Do you want to play with
the other children?" the kitchen-maid asked. Minnikin
was going to say that she wanted to watch the troll carry off the
princess, but then thought better of it. Instead she said, "Yes,
I want to go play with the other children." "Well,
well, go then!" said the kitchen-maid, "but don't stay too
long for soon I'm going to have to put the roast on the spit and the
pan over the fire and cook supper, and as I'll need wood for the fire
you make sure to bring back a good big armful."
Minnkin promised, then ran down to the seashore. Just as Minnikin got
to the seashore, she saw the troll come rushing up the sand with a
great whistling and whirring. He was big and stout and terrible to
see. People had talked about how the troll was ugly, but no one had
mentioned that he had five heads. Which he did have. Five heads. "FIRE!"
screeched the troll.
"FIRE YOURSELF!" said Minnikin.
"CAN YOU FIGHT?" roared the troll.

7

"IF NOT, I CAN LEARN!" said Minnikin.
The troll was holding in his fist a great, thick, iron bar, which was
as thick and big as the tree up which Ritter Red had fled and was
hiding. The troll struck at Minnikin with the big, iron bar, but
Minnikin leapt out of the way, and the iron bar hit the tree in which
Ritter Red was hiding and sent it flying a half-mile down the beach. Minnikin said, "THAT WASN'T MUCH OF A BLOW. NOW YOU SHALL SEE ONE
OF MINE!"
Minnikin had with her the grand sword the first hag had given her.
With hardly any effort at all she swung it and off flew the heads of
the troll, one, two, three, four, five.
When the princess saw that she was delivered from the troll, she was
so delighted that she didn't know what she was doing, and skipped and
danced. "I'm saved, I'm saved," she sang to Minnikin. "I'm
saved from having to marry that troll."
Minnikin, who was just a little girl, felt a little tired after all
the excitement and yawned. The princess told her, "Come and sleep
a bit with your head in my lap." Minnikin did so, and as she
slept the princess took out of her suitcase a gold dress and put it on
her. (Yes, the princess had been carrying with her a suitcase which
had some of her clothes in it just in case she ended up having to go
home with the troll.)
Ritter Red was a little bruised from his adventure in the tree, but
only a little. When he saw there was no longer any danger afoot, he
came back up the beach and said to the princess, "You must tell
the king that I was the one who rescued you from the troll. If you
don't, I will kill you. If you do, then I will marry you, I'm sure the
king will see to that."
Then Ritter Red took the troll's lungs and all of his five tongues and
put them in his pocket-handkerchief and led the princess back to the
king's palace. It was immediately assumed that the princess had been
saved from the troll by Ritter Red, so that she didn't even have to
lie about it because no one asked her how she was saved and by whom.
If anything had been lacking in the way of honor for Ritter Red
before, it was lacking no longer, for the king didn't know how to
exalt him enough, and from then on let him sit at his right hand at
the table, which was a great privilege. But, he didn't offer Ritter
Red the hand of the princess in marriage.
As for Minnikin. When she woke up, she went out to the troll's ship
and took away from it a great quantity of gold and silver hoops. Then,
the tree the troll had felled, she cut up for wood for the kitchen
fire. Then, she trotted back to the king's palace.

8

When the
kitchen-maid saw Minnikin with all the gold and silver hoops, she was
quite amazed, and said, very sweetly, "My dear, dear, dearest
friend Minnikin, where did you get all those gold and silver hoops?
Are they yours?"
Minnikin answered, "I decided to run home and exchange my rags
for a gold dress because I thought as long as I'm carrying wood for
the fire for the king's supper, I better dress a little prettier, and
where I come from we are so wealthy that the hoops that hold the wood
of our buckets together aren't just any old metal, they've got to be
silver and gold or nothing at all. So I took apart the buckets for
wood for the fire and thought you might like the gold and silver
hoops. Do you like them?"
The kitchen-maid thought this was an absurd story, but when she heard
the hoops were for her she asked no more questions about the matter.
She thanked Minnikin, and Minnikin put her rags back on over her
golden dress, explaining that she had thought better of wearing her
gold dress on the outside, for she was afraid it would be soiled, and
that was that.
The next Thursday evening, when the second troll was due to come claim
the princess, Minnikin once more begged the kitchen-maid to let her go
down to the seashore for a short time."What
do you want at the seashore? To play with the children?" the
kitchen-maid asked.Minnikin
said, "They were a great deal of fun last time. Can I go play
with them again?"The
kitchen-maid thought a second and then answered, "You may, but
you must first promise to bring home a great armful of wood for the
kitchen fire, as I must be soon cooking dinner. And mind you that it
is a lot of wood, even if you must take apart some water buckets to
get enough as you did the last time."Minnikin
agreed and started down to the beach.Ritter
Red had again, already, taken the princess down to the seashore on the
pretense of protecting her. There was a little grief displayed in the
palace when he left with the princess, but not as much as before, as
everyone thought Ritter Red would kill the second troll, the same as
they thought he had the first. But Ritter Red climbed up into a second
tree that was on the beach and hid himself as he had done the first
time.

9

The princess pleaded, "Ritter Red, do come down and save me from
the troll." But he wouldn't hear of it. He replied only, "Better
one dead than two."
That was when Minnikin came walking up. No sooner had Minnikin come
walking up than the second troll came rushing along with a great
whistling and whirring, and he was twice as big as the first troll,
and had ten heads.
"FIRE!" shrieked the troll.
"FIRE YOURELF!" said Minnikin.
"CAN YOU FIGHT?" roared the troll.
"IF NOT, I CAN LEARN!" said Minnikin.
The troll had in his hand an iron club that was much bigger than the
weapon the first troll had. He swung the iron club at Minnikin, but
she leapt aside nimbly, and the club struck the tree in which Ritter
Red was hiding and sent it flying a full mile down the beach. "THAT WASN'T MUCH OF A BLOW. NOW YOU SHALL SEE ONE OF MINE!"
said Minnikin. Then she grasped the grand sword the hag had given her
in exchange for the eye, and she struck the troll with it so that all
ten of his heads danced away over the sands.
Minnikin was just a tiny little girl, and so much excitement made her
terribly sleepy. She was so sleepy she yawned. The king's daughter
said to her, "Sleep a little while in my lap," and while
Minnikin lay there she put on Minnikin a beautiful silver robe over
her golden dress.
Ritter Red was pretty bruised from his adventure in the tree, but as
soon as he saw that there was no longer any danger afoot, he managed
to make his way back down the beach to the princess. Again, he ordered
her to tell her father that he had rescued her, threatening that if
she did not he would kill her. He then took the lungs and the ten
tongues of the troll and put them in his pocket-handkerchief, and
conducted the princess back to the castle. With the return of the
princess, there was great joy and gladness in the palace, and the king
said he didn't know how to show enough honor and respect to Ritter
Red. After all, he'd already given Ritter Red the chair at his right
hand at the table. He still did not offer his daughter's hand to
Ritter Red in marriage, even though Ritter Red hinted at it. When
Minnikin woke up, she did as she had done after killing the first
troll. She cut up for firewood for the kitchen the tree the second
troll had felled, and carried this back to the kitchen along with the
gold and silver hoops she found on the second troll's ship.

10

When the
kitchen-maid saw Minnikin with all the gold and silver hoops, she
said, very sweetly, "My dear, dear, dearest friend Minnikin,
where did you get all those gold and silver hoops? Are they yours?" Minnikin
answered, "I decided to run home for a bit and get a silver coat
to put over my gold dress, for it's getting cool out in the evenings.
Also, I took apart some buckets for wood for the fire and thought you
might like the gold and silver hoops from them. Do you like them?" "They're
just lovely, Minnikin, thank you," the kitchen-maid said, and
asked her no more questions.When
the third Thursday evening came, and it was time for the third troll
to come make his claim on the princess, everything happened exactly as
it had on the two former occasions. Everything in the King's palace
was hung with black, and everyone was sorrowful and distressed, though
not as much as the second or first Thursday, for Ritter Red said that
he did not think that they had much reason to be afraid. "After
all," Ritter Red told them, "I delivered the princess from
the first two trolls, so I can easily deliver her from the third troll
as well." Ritter
Red led the princess down to the beach, but when the time came for the
troll to appear, he climbed up into another tree that was there and
hid himself. The princess saw no point in pleading with Ritter Red to
come down and save her. She sat down and waited for Minnikin to
appear, and Ritter Red also was waiting for Minnikin to appear. Still,
Ritter Red must have been a little disappointed the princess hadn't
pleaded with him to come down and rescue her, for he finally called
out, "It is better that one life should be lost than two."
Minnikin, having asked the kitchen-maid for time to go to the seashore
and play with the children, appeared just as the third troll came
ashore with a great whizzing and whirring. This third troll was much
bigger than either of the former two, and he had fifteen heads. "FIRE!"
roared the troll.
"FIRE YOURSELF!" said Minnikin.
"CAN YOU FIGHT?" screamed the troll.
"IF NOT, I CAN LEARN!" said Minnikin.
"I WILL TEACH YOU," yelled the troll, and struck at her with
his iron club, but she leapt nimbly aside and he instead hit the tree
in which Ritter Red was hiding and sent it flying a full mile and a
half down the beach.
Minnikin said, "THAT WAS NOT MUCH OF A BLOW!
NOW I WILL LET YOU SEE ONE OF MINE!" So saying, she grasped
her sword and sweeping at the troll she cut off all fifteen of his
heads so they danced over the sands.

11

Being just a little girl, Minnikin was exhausted by her effort, and a
little sleepy. She yawned. The princess had Minnikin come lie down to
sleep in her lap, and while Minnikin lay there the princess put on her
a pretty brass coat that had a pretty brass scarf she wrapped around
her neck.
The princess said to Minnikin, "It will be some time for Ritter
Red to walk back here as the troll knocked the tree he was in a full
mile and a half down the beach. In the meanwhile, we need to discuss
how we should make it known that it was you who saved me. I have been
afraid to tell anyone, for Ritter Red has said he would kill me. As my
father believed Ritter Red had saved me from the first two trolls, he
has already told Ritter Red that if he saved me from the third troll
he could have half the kingdom and my hand in marriage. Ritter Red may
not have fifteen heads, or even ten or five heads, but I believe his
behavior is as ugly as any old troll's. I don't want to marry him, but
I don't know how to say no."
Minnikin thought a second then answered, "This is what we'll do.
When Ritter Red has taken you home, and pretended to everyone that he
has rescued you again, he will then expect to receive half the kingdom
and you as his wife. On your wedding day, when you are asked who you
will have for a cup-bearer, you must say, "I will have the ragged
girl who is in the kitchen, and carries wood and water for the
kitchen-maid." Then, when I am filling your cups for you, I will
spill a drop of wine on Ritter Red's plate, but none upon yours. He
will be angry and strike me, and this will happen three times. The
third time, you must say, 'Shame on you thus to smite the child. She
is as dear to me as my own heart, as it is she who delivered me from
the trolls.'"
Then Minnikin went on board the troll's ship and took a great quantity
of gold and silver and other precious things; then she went and cut up
the tree the giant had felled, and when she went back to the kitchen
she gave the wood to the kitchen-maid for the fire, and also a whole
armful of gold and silver hoops.
Ritter Red was this time pretty beaten up by his flight down the beach
in the tree, but when he saw all the danger was over, while Minnikin
was aboard the troll's ship he crept back down the seashore to the
princess, and again threatened her with death if she did not make
believe to everyone it was he who had rescued her. When he conducted
her back to the king's palace, if honor enough had not been done him
before it was certainly done now, for the king had no other thought
than how to reward the man who had saved his daughter from the three
trolls; and it was settled then that Ritter Red should marry the
princess, and receive half the kingdom.

12

On the wedding day, the princess did as Minnikin had told her to do,
and when she was asked who she wanted to have as cup-bearer and fill
the wine-cups at the wedding feast, she said she would have the little
girl in the kitchen who carried wood and water for the kitchen-maid.
Ritter Red said, "What can you want with that dirty, ragged
child?" but the princess insisted.
Minnikin was called in to be cup-bearer, and appeared dressed in her
rags. When she was pouring wine into the cups, she spilt a drop on
Ritter Red's plate but none on the plate of the princess. Ritter Red,
enraged, struck Minnikin quite hard as he was only an abusive bully,
but no one even gasped for Minnikin was only a little girl in
rags--except that when Minnikin was struck her rags had fallen off and
she was seen to be wearing a brass coat with a brass scarf around her
throat. Everyone wondered, What was this?--but no one said a word.
They did, however, grumble a little, for it didn't seem right that a
servant should be dressed in brass.Then,
when Minnikin was pouring wine a second time into the cups, she again
spilt a drop on Ritter Red's plate but none on the princess'. Ritter
Red, enraged, struck Minnikin again as he was a bad man, but no one
said anything for Minnikin was only a kitchen servant usually dressed
in rags--except that when Minnikin was struck this second time, her
brass coat and scarf had fallen off and it was seen that underneath
she wore a silver coat. Everyone wondered, What was this?--and they
grumbled a little more for it didn't seem right that a servant should
be dressed better than most of them.Then,
when Minnikin was pouring wine a third time into the cups, she again
spilt a drop, red as blood, on Ritter Red's plate but none on the
plate of the princess. Enraged, Ritter Red jumped up and struck
Minnikin so hard that her silver coat fell off, and there she stood in
the gold dress which was so bright and splendid that light flashed
from it. You can be sure, this drew quite a grasp from all the guests.The
princess then said to Ritter Red, "Shame on you thus to smite the
child. She is as dear to me as my own heart, as it is she who
delivered me from the troll."
Ritter Red protested that it was he who killed the trolls, and for
proof he took out his handkerchief, and unfolding it he spilled out
all the trolls' lungs and their thirty heads on the table.

13

But
Minnikin went out and brought back with her all the gold and silver
and precious things she had taken out of the trolls' ships, and she
laid these on the table beside the lungs and thirty heads. The gold
and silver and precious things had a much better reception from the
guests and king than did the gruesome lungs and heads which the king
immediately asked to be removed from the prettily decorated feast
table.
The king said, "The little girl, who has such precious things in
gold and silver and diamonds, must be the one who killed the troll,
for such treasures are not to be had anywhere else." Ritter Red
tried to run away, but the king had Ritter Red caught and thrown into
the snake-pit. Then the king proclaimed that Minnikin should be given
half the kingdom.
Now, the king had two other children besides the princess, both sons.
The younger son had been stolen by the same three trolls who had
claimed the princess for their bride, and the king had given him up
for dead. But when the three trolls had been killed, the young son had
found himself miraculously released from the prison in which the three
trolls had kept him. Slowly, he made his way home, so that one day the
king saw him walking up the beach toward the castle and they were thus
happily reunited. When the king told the young prince that Minnikin
had killed the trolls, and they understood that this was the reason
the prison had miraculously opened, the young prince said he would
marry Minnikin if she would have him when she was old enough. Minnikin
said she would like to think about this, but actually she believed it
was a nice idea for the young prince was very handsome. The prince
then went off to school so that he could learn how to be a wise ruler. When
Minnikin heard the story of how the young prince had been imprisoned,
and learned there was also an older brother, she asked what had become
of the older prince. The king told her that another troll, a female
troll, which I guess would be called a trolless, had carried him away
a long time ago, and that he was most certainly dead. But the king
didn't want to talk about it as it made him very sad, and he went off
to his rooms.
Minnikin told the princess she had a voyage she would like to take,
and asked the princess for an iron rope five ells long, and said that
she must have also five hundred men, and provisions for five weeks as
the voyage would be a long one.
The princess said to Minnikin, "If you are going to take a voyage
with five hundred men, you are going to need a large ship. It will
take us a little while to make it."

14

Minnkin said, "No need to make a ship. I already have a ship of
my own."
Minnikin took out the ship which the old hag had given her. The
princess laughed and said, "Oh, this is another one of your fun
jokes, isn't it?"
The princess didn't see how Minnikin's ship would be of any use, but
she had the men and provisions brought to Minnikin anyway, and the
iron rope was made right there on the spot, link by link, as five ells
of rope would have been too heavy for anyone to carry. But when the
cable was done it had to be put on the ship and there was no one who
could lift it, and there wasn't room on the little ship anyway. So
Minnikin herself took hold of the cable and laid one or two links of
it in the ship, and as she threw the links into it the ship grew
bigger and bigger, and at last it was so large that the cable, and the
five hundred men, and the five weeks' provisions, and Minnikin
herself, had room enough.
Minnikin said to the ship, "Now, go over fresh water and salt
water, over hill and dale, and do not stop until we come to where the
king's eldest son is."
In an instant, the ship went flying off. It sailed over land and water
with such speed that the wind whistled and moaned all around it, and
the five hundred men that Minnikin carried with her were quite
frightened and amazed by Minnikin who was cool as a cucumber. When
they had sailed a long, long way, the ship suddenly stopped short,
bam, in the middle of the sea.
Minnikin said, "It seems we have arrived where the eldest son of
the king is kept. Wasn't that a fun trip."
Minnikin took the iron cable and tied one end of it around her little
body. She said to the five hundred men, "Now, I must go to the
bottom of the sea. When I give a good jerk on the cable you will know
I want to come up again, and all five hundred of you must pull like
you were one man, or your lives and mine will end right here and no
one will ever know what became of us." So saying, Minnikin jumped
from the ship into the water, and bubbles rose up all around her. Minnikin
sank lower and lower, and there swam all around her many fish and
whales and great squids. At last she set foot on the bottom of the
sea. There she saw a large hill with a door in it, and she entered
through the door. Inside, she found the elder son of the king who was
quite amazed to see the little girl, scarcely bigger than an infant.

15

"I
have come for you," said Minnikin.
The elder prince said, "It's no use even to think of that, for I
have tried to escape several times and failed. If the trolless catches
sight of you she'll take your life so you better leave." Minnikin
said, "You had better tell me about this trolless. Where has she
gone to? It would be amusing to see her."
The prince said, "The trolless is out searching the world for
someone who can brew a hundred lasts of malt at one brewing, for she
has planned a feast and at that feast not less than that will be
drunk."
Minnikin said, "I can do that."
The prince said, "This is a very quick-tempered trolless. She is
so ill-natured that she will tear you to pieces the moment she comes
in, so it doesn't you or the troll any good that you know this art."
The prince fell silent a second, and then he said, "You have come
all the way down here to try to help me so I shouldn't be so
pessimistic. I will try to find a way of helping you. Hide yourself in
this cupboard and we will see what I can do." No
sooner had Minnikin crept into the cupboard to hide when the trolless
came in. She roared, "HUFF! I SMELL THE BLOOD OF A HUMAN!!" Why the
trolless would take such notice of the scent of a human, I don't know,
for I imagine the prince was human. Nevertheless, the prince answered,
"Yes, a bird flew over with a human's bone in his bill. He let it
drop into the chimney. I buried the bone immediately, but the smell
remains. It must be that which you're smelling." The
trolless said, "YES, IT MUST BE THAT." The
prince asked, "Did you find anyone who can brew a hundred lasts
of malt at one brewing?"
The trolless answered, "NO. I HAVE LOOKED HIGH AND LOW AND THERE
IS NO ONE WHO CAN DO IT."
The prince said, "A short time ago, a little girl came here who
said she could do it."
The trolless said, "HOW COULD YOU LET THE LITTLE GIRL GO AWAY?
YOU KNEW THAT WAS JUST THE KIND OF PERSON FOR WHOM I WAS LOOKING. YOU
AREN'T VERY CLEVER, ARE YOU?"
The prince replied, "I said she came by here. I didn't say I let
her go away. Mother, you are so quick-tempered that I hid her in the
cupboard."
The trolless said, "BRING THE LITTLE GIRL OUT. YOU ARE NOT SO
STUPID, SON, AS YOU ALWAYS SEEM TO BE. YOU MAY MAKE SOMETHING OF
YOURSELF YET."

16

The prince let Minnikin out of the cupboard. When the trolless saw
her, she asked if it was true that Minnikin could brew a hundred lasts
of malt at one brewing, and Minnikin said, yes, it was true. The
trolless then ordered Minnikin to start brewing that very minute,
saying, "HEAVEN HELP YOU IF YOU DON'T BREW THE ALE STRONG." "Don't
you worry about that. It'll taste just fine," Minnikin replied,
and at once began to brew.Minnikin
said that she needed a number of trolls to carry for her all that she
needed to do the brewing. The trolless went out and came back the
trolls to help Minnikin, but Minnikin needed still more. So the
trolless went out and brought still more trolls, but Minnikin needed
more. So the trolless went out and came back with so many troll they
were swarming all about and the brewing went on. When the ale was
ready, all the trolls were anxious to taste it, so they did. First the
trolless had a drink, and then the rest of the trolls had a drink.
True to her word, Minnikin had brewed the ale quite strong. It was so
strong that the trolless and the other trolls instantly all fell down
dead like so many flies. At last, there was no one left standing
except for Minnikin, the elder prince, and a wretched old hag who had
been behind the stove.Minnikin
cried out when she saw the hag, "You, old hag, you! Don't think
you won't have a taste of the ale like all the rest!" Minnikin
then scooped up a little that had been left at the bottom of the
brewing vat in a milk pan, and give it to the old hag. The old hag
fell to the ground the instant the ale touched her lips, and that was
that.The
trolless was so rich that gold and silver, and things made of gold and
silver lay all about the room as if they were no more priceless than a
copper penny. Minnikin took a chest and filled it with the gold and
silver. Then she tied the iron cable around herself, the elder prince,
and the chest. That done, she tugged on the iron cable with all her
might, whereupon the five hundred men on her ship drew Minnikin, the
prince, and the chest up through the water and very soon they were
safe and sound and on the ship.Minnikin
said to the ship, "Go over salt water and fresh water, over hill
and dale, and do not stop until you come to the king's palace."
Immediately, the ship was went sailing off.
When the king saw the ship fly up and land upon the seashore, he lost
no time in gathering his court to go out and meet it with song and
music. The king's dancing and singing was the merriest of all for he
had believed his elder son was dead, but now he was home again.

17

The
elder son said that as Minnikin had saved him, when she was old enough
to marry he wanted to have her as his wife--that is if she would have
him. The elder son was certain that since Minnikin had come to save
him, she must have done it because she loved him. But Minnikin had
only saved him because she thought it was the thing to do, and instead
favored the younger son. Minnikin didn't want to hurt the feelings of
the elder son by telling him she had no interest in him, and for the following how many years she spent all
her time walking backwards and forwards, thinking what could she do,
what could she do, what could she do that wouldn't hurt the elder
prince and sound unkind. One day, when she had grown up and was still walking about and
puzzling over what to do, it came to her mind that if only she had her
sister, King Pippin, with her, who was so like herself that no one
could distinguish the one from the other, the problem would be solved.
The elder prince could marry King Pippin and Minnikin could marry the
younger prince.
As soon as Minnikin thought of this she went outside, took a great
breath, and yelled, "King Pippin!"
Minnikin stood a moment, waiting, but no one came. So, Minnikin yelled
out again, even louder, "King Pippin!" Still,
no one came.
A third time, Minnikin took a great, great, great breath, and with all
her might she called out, "King Pippin!!!" There
stood King Pippin by Minnikin's side. Minnikin's twin sister, rather
than seeming pleased to see her again, said in an angry voice, "I
told you that you weren't to call me unless you were in utmost need.
So, I hear your call and I come with all speed to help you, and when I
look around I see there isn't even so much here as a midge (which is a
tiny insect) which can do you any harm!" With that, Minnikin's
twin gave Minnikin such a blow that Minnikin was sent reeling over the
grass.
Minnikin popped right back up and said, "Shame on you to strike
me! First, I rescued a princess and was given half the kingdom, and
through rescuing the princess I also rescued her brother who is a
prince. Then I rescued a second brother who is also a prince and was
given the other half of the kingdom. Both of these princes want to
marry me. I was thinking that I would let you have one of the princes,
and one of the halves of the kingdom, which is why I called you. Now,
do you think you have any reason to have given me such a blow? You
have never given a thought to me, have you. Why, when you were born
you marched right off without staying around to welcome me into the
world. I had to come chasing after you or else you would never have
known I existed."

18

Minnikin's older twin, hearing her words, was very sorry for what she
had done. She begged Minnikin's pardon, to which Minnikin replied, "There
now, we are reconciled. And I'm sure we'll be quite good friends from
now on."
King Pippin said, "Yes, that's exactly what I want as well." Minnikin
said to King Pippin, "Here is my plan. As you know, we are so
like each other that no one but us can tell us apart from one another.
What I want you to do is to change clothes with me and go up to the
palace. The princes are at home. When they see you they will think
that I'm coming in. They will rush to greet me, each one trying to get
to me first and give me a kiss. The prince who greets you first shall
be yours, and I will have the other."
Minnikin knew that the elder prince was stronger than the younger
prince, and guessed that the elder prince would win in the contest for
the kiss.
King Pippin agreed to the plan. She and Minnikin exchanged clothes,
then the elder twin went into the palace. When she entered, the
princes saw her and believed she was Minnikin. Both of them ran to
her; but the elder prince, who was bigger and stronger, pushed his
brother aside, and greeted King Pippin with a sweet kill. So,
he got her to wife. And Minnikin got the younger prince.Pippin and the older prince were married, and Minnikin and the younger prince were married, both ceremnonies taking
place at the same time, but you probably guessed this on your own.
That is all there is of this story.